Snap, Crackle, and Pop | Wood Flooring Noises

If you are concerned your brand new hardwood flooring is making squeaking noises, don’t worry. It is perfectly normal for a brand new hardwood floor to make noises. In the industry, it is called the “snap, crackle, pop” effect. No subfloor is perfectly level and when a floor is first installed, the edges of the boards need to get used to one another. As they rub against each other, the edges become smoother and less rigid. You also have the wood flooring reaching its equilibrium moisture content which contributes to this as well. This could take a year or more to go away depending on the level of traffic on the floor and conditions in the home.

How to tell if its a real squeak in your wood flooring 

You are probably wondering how you can tell the difference between this and an actual squeak in the floor. With a squeak, quite often you can see the flooring itself actually move. If a squeak is permanent, you should always hear it anytime throughout the day. With “snap, crackle, pop” you will usually notice it in the morning and it will dissipate throughout the day as it is walked on. Or in some cases, you will walk across the floor and hear squeaking sounds, but when you walk back across you don’t hear anything.

If you have any questions on this or any subject, don’t hesitate to contact us.